Tim McDermott “A Proven Idea..”

A Proven Idea to Grow Your Radio Station

We were about to start a large campaign for the radio station.  Our fundraising consultants looked over the list of our board member’s names and said we had an issue.  We didn’t have big names on the board, so major donors would be reluctant to give to us.  I said “but we have been around a long time and are well known in the community.”   They pushed back and said we needed to get some bigger names involved with our organization if we hoped to get larger gifts.

I talked with others and prayed about it and then the idea came – let’s start a President’s Council.   The purpose of it would be to have well-known community leaders speak into the ministry.  We wouldn’t ask them to commit to the same level the Board does – just once a year – and then, just for a few hours.  We would have it at a place where they would want to come.  As part of the Council Meeting, I would give them a challenge I was facing and get their wisdom.   You know what happened?  It was a great success.  You might be thinking – well that is for a well-known organization and who wouldn’t want to be a part?  Good question (I knew you would ask a good question).  But in my times after leaving the Houston radio station, I have repeated the same idea with other smaller and less known nonprofits and had the same great success.   

I would encourage you to start a President’s Council at your organization. 

Here’s how simple it is to do. (I’m also a CPA so I numbered them J )

1. Meet with your team and put together a list of influencers in your community. I like using the Seven Areas of Influence of a City – Family, Religion, Education, Media, Entertainment, Business, Government.  Think of key leaders in those areas.  You are going to get “No’s” so the more names the better.
2. Find a place that is unique and might require special access to get to. People of influence will be more likely to attend something if the venue has limited access.  The radio station itself can be a good choice but I would rotate it with other venues. 
3. Invite the influencers to the annual meeting. In your letter explain the purpose and how long the term of service is.  I first got a yes from a couple of influencers and then used their names in my letter to invite others to join the Council.  Once they saw who was coming, I believe it influenced them to say yes.   
4. Explain to your board what you are doing so they don’t feel like their role isn’t important. I have invited board members to the President’s Council Meetings to be a part of the discussion, but I have cautioned them they are there to listen not to be a wet blanket for new ideas. 
5. Host the meeting. I limited the number of people from 12-20 so they could really connect with each other. I broke the Council down into groups at tables and had the board members lead the discussions. Honor the time commitment you set out.  Consider an appreciation gift. 
6. Make plans for the next one. Besides the annual meeting with the group, I also did one off meetings with each of the attendees to get to know them. I asked them if they knew of a special venue where we could host the next event.

The wins from having a President’s Council are many.  Their names can go on your letterhead/website (remember that major donor purpose).  From the meetings I have attended, they really do offer valuable input for the CEO and organization.  And, you just created a network of influence that you can leverage to move your ministry forward.  Putting together a President’s Council takes some work but if you want to take your organization to the next level, then it is worth it.

With over 40 years of experience in broadcasting, most of which was as CEO, Tim McDermott is now consulting and providing ideas for radio stations and nonprofit organizations.  He can be reached at tim@tmcdermottcpa.com